


Walls

by kiyala



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 01:52:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6264943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kenma doesn't quite know what to say when Kuroo gets stressed out, but he knows he has to do something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walls

**Author's Note:**

> written for the prompt _things you said while you were crying_

When people say that they think Tetsurou is cool, Kenma just blinks at them without comment and, on the inside, tries very hard not to laugh.

Perhaps it's the fact that they didn't grow up with him. Perhaps it's because they haven't had to listen to his braying laugh for the fifth time in one day over the same cat video. Or perhaps it's because Tetsurou tries incredibly hard to come across as lighthearted and easygoing. If people want to believe it, Kenma isn't going to tell them otherwise. It isn't his right, anyway. Kenma might have more obvious walls that he puts up around himself, but he recognises that these are Tetsurou's walls, shielding himself from the outside world, hiding what he doesn't want everyone to see. Kenma can understand that.

Kenma can also see right through them. He knows better than to buy whichever act Tetsurou is putting on, and maybe that's because he's been there from the very beginning, or maybe because Tetsurou lets him in. 

Either way, Kenma knows that Tetsurou is so much more than his grin, his jokes, or even the embarrassing speeches he makes before matches. He can call Kenma the brain all he wants, but Kenma knows just how intelligent he is too. He knows how hard Tetsurou works and knows how hard he is on himself. Perhaps nobody else does, but that doesn't matter. Tetsurou knows him better than anyone else, so it makes sense that Kenma knows him just as well in return.

He just wishes that he knew how to help, the way Tetsurou helps him when things feel like they're a little too overwhelming. Tetsurou is good at talking Kenma through his anxiety, and Kenma would give anything to be even half as good at talking Tetsurou through his. Kenma is familiar with the creeping pressure, the way that it builds and builds at the back of his mind. At the very least, he's gotten better at recognising it in Tetsurou as well.

They're studying together in Kenma's room on their day off from practice, and Tetsurou is frowning down at his page more than he's writing. Kenma watches from the corner of his eye, careful not to be obvious about it. He doesn't know what to say, because he's never been good at initiating conversation about these kinds of thing, but when he sees Tetsurou put his pen down with a shaky breath, Kenma knows that he has to say _something_.

He puts his pen down and pushes his books aside, crawling across the space between them and climbing into Tetsurou's lap. "I think it's time for a break."

Tetsurou's arms are around him immediately, pulling him closer. Kenma nestles against Tetsurou's chest, face pressed into the curve of his neck, but he still doesn't know what to say. He takes a deep breath and tries to recall what Tetsurou says to calm him down but before he can, Tetsurou holds him tighter and lets out a quiet chuckle.

"Thanks, Kenma."

"I didn't do anything," Kenma mumbles, as Tetsurou's fingers find his, linking them together. "I'm not good at this, like you are."

"Just shut up and let me hold you," Tetsurou tells him softly, pressing his face into Kenma's hair. "You're doing great."

Kenma carefully tightens his grip on Tetsurou's fingers, and kisses his neck. "I know you're stressed out, and I'm not going to tell you not to be, because I think that if I was in your position, I'd be stressed out too. But I can see how hard you've been working, okay? I—I'm proud of you."

" _Kenma_." Tetsurou's voice cracks, and Kenma's stomach drops out. He was trying to make Tetsurou feel better, not make him cry.

"Don't—" Kenma begins, pulling back, but there are already tears tracking down Tetsurou's cheeks.

"Sorry," Tetsurou smiles weakly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise," Kenma says firmly. He wipes Tetsurou's cheeks, the way Tetsurou has done for him so many times. "It's okay."

"What if it's not?" Tetsurou asks. "What if I can't do this? These exams are going to be difficult, and we're still so busy preparing for nationals—"

"You're the smartest person I know," Kenma tells him. "You're doing well. You're going to make it."

"What am I going to do," Tetsurou laughs shakily, "when I have to move away for university and I don't have you to calm me down any more?"

Kenma looks away, because he's been dwelling on that too, lately. He might be getting at dealing with people but being without Tetsurou is going to feel like being without a safety net. Kenma gives Tetsurou the same answer he gives himself whenever he thinks about it. "We can always text. And there are video calls, if you want."

"You'd do video calls?" Tetsurou asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe." Kenma looks away again. "For you."

Leaning forward, Tetsurou kisses Kenma's forehead. "Thank you, Kenma."

Holding the sides of Tetsurou's face, Kenma guide him down into a kiss. Tetsurou kisses back, resting his hands on Kenma's waist, and they sit there for a long moment, content to do nothing but kiss. Kenma needs a moment to regain his bearings anyway, and he knows that Tetsurou does too. He likes the feeling of being so close to Tetsurou, and there's a voice at the back of his mind telling him to enjoy it while he can. 

It might just be a year before Kenma graduates and goes to university too, and he knows that wherever Tetsurou goes, it's not going to be very far. It's still going to be a big change from seeing him every single day, and it still scares him. Kenma can admit that much.

Kenma doesn't move until Tetsurou does, and he's relieved to see that the tears are gone. He gives Tetsurou a small smile, glad when Tetsurou smiles in reply, leaning forward to press another kiss to Kenma's forehead. 

"Time to get back to work," Kenma murmurs, climbing off Tetsurou's lap. "You can do it."

"Yeah," Tetsurou replies softly. "I can."


End file.
